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Monday, July 3, 2017

Recipe of the month: Corn Koftas in Palak (Spinach) Gravy - A Guest Post by Amritha

I haven't been able to devote a lot of time towards formulating new recipe posts lately. Not due to the lack of cooking really. It's just that I haven't had the time for all the other stuff that goes with it! I thought that dialling back on the use of social media (which I have been sincerely trying to do) would have left me with a lot more time on my hands but oddly that hasn't happened 😕

I always rely on my ever-dependable husband to bail me out whenever I find myself falling short of recipes. Unfortunately for me, I couldn't do that as his last guest post wasn't too long ago. The idea for this guest post came from my sister. Like most families, we have a string of WhatsApp groups where we share everything under the sun 😝 One of those groups is dedicated solely to culinary pursuits and that is the one I am most interested in (for obvious reasons!). So, my SIL, Amritha, shared this recipe along with positive feedback and it caught most of our attention immediately.

I love anything and everything to do with spinach and well, koftas, what can I say - I can eat those bad boys all on their own in a single sitting! Give me a kofta-based curry and I'd shamelessly ask for an entire basket of Indian flatbread and then maybe some more 😁

My SIL, although several years younger than me has been pretty close to me ever since her foray into our family. Pediatrician - bharatanatyam dancer - classical singer - fashionista - cooking and baking enthusiast - this girl wears many hats with ease! My kids love her to bits as do we all 💗 So when my sister planted this idea in my head, without any hesitation I asked Amritha if she could re-create the same recipe for my blog. Being the sweetheart that she is, she agreed immediately with cheery enthusiasm. She doesn't have a blog of her own (which considering how multi-talented she is, she really should!) so she is sharing this platform with me to bring you this wonderful recipe.

My family back home gave this recipe a huge thumbs up and although I didn't have the good fortune of tasting it myself, I'm pretty sure it was legit. This recipe has ingredients that are commonly available in any Indian kitchen, comes together easily, has the goodness of spinach and looks very appetizing. Soft melt-in-the-mouth koftas served in an aromatic, vibrant and luscious gravy is an irresistible dish that will have your family or guests licking their fingers. Thank you Amritha for doing this for me! I owe you big time 🙏

So, please show my sistah some love and head to the kitchen to make this side dish for yourself. I need to do it too and pronto! You can catch my latest updates on Facebook or Instagram.

1. Thaw the frozen corn kernels in hot water, drain the water and dry the corn kernels thoroughly on paper towels. Mince along with garlic, green chilli and salt in a food processor. Keep it aside to allow the mixture to dry.

If using fresh corn, grate the corn from the cobs or use a food processor to coarsely crush corn kernels. Use a sieve to drain off the excess corn milk. In a little oil, fry the corn mixture with the garlic, green chilli and salt until the moisture has evaporated. If it persists, you can mix in some breadcrumbs.

2. Take palak (spinach leaves), and simmer it in boiling water to which a little sugar and salt have been added for 3 mins uncovered. Switch off the flame and let it sit for 2 mins again uncovered. Now immediately place it in a bowl of ice cold water. Drain the water and puree the palak in a blender (no need to add additional water).

This cooking method ensures that the palak retains its bright green color.

3. Heat oil in a deep-bottomed pan. Add onions and sauté until it turns golden brown. Now add ginger-garlic paste and minced green chillies and saute until the raw smell disappears. Add in the tomatoes and let it cook till it turns mushy.

5. Add in the palak puree and let it cook till the raw smell of palak is no longer there.

6. Now turn the heat off and add fresh cream and sprinkle kasuri methi. Keep aside.

7. To make the koftas, keep oil for deep frying ready. Make small balls out of the corn mixture and dip it in the corn flour and rice flour mixture (add water to make a thin paste). Roll this on bread crumbs and deep fry until it turns golden brown. This mixture will yield up to 7-8 koftas.

8. Dunk the koftas in the palak gravy just before serving. Top off with some more fresh cream and garnish with julienned fresh ginger if desired. Serve warm alongside any Indian flatbread, a simple pulao or steamed basmati rice.

Notes:

Make sure your corn mixture is dry enough so that the koftas do not open up while deep frying. If it does, you can dry roast corn mixture in a pan for a minute

Warming the kasoori methi before adding it to the gravy enhances its flavour

Add the koftas to the palak gravy just before serving as the koftas tend to absorb the curry, soften and turn mushy

Taste the curry and adjust the seasonings before you add in the koftas otherwise the delicate koftas may break apart during mixing

I hope you liked this guest post. If you have a tried and tested, fabulous recipe that you would like to share with me and my readers then please get in touch with me 😊 I would be more than happy to oblige!